Jason Zimmerman has constructed one of the nation’s best basketball programs since he became the head coach of Emory men’s basketball team in 2007. Zimmerman boasts a 214-103 record over his 12 season career, which includes a 197-70 record since the 2009-2010 season, a .737 winning percent.
His team has made an appearance in every NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament since 2013. In 2014, the team went as far as the Elite Eight, and made it to the Sweet 16 in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. Over the years, Zimmerman has been named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Coaching Staff of the Year four times, with the most recent being in 2019. The mark Zimmerman has left on the basketball program is undeniable, and the connection he has to his players is palpable. The Emory Wheel sat down with him to see how he views his last 12 seasons.
The transcript has been edited for clarity and length.
Lynden Fausey, The Emory Wheel: So, over your time here, how have you seen Emory change?
Jason Zimmerman: I don’t know if change is necessarily the right word — I would say grow. I think it’s really difficult to grow and improve when you’re already very good. When I came in for the men's basketball program, my first year we won 10 or seven games. Then we won 15, and then we won 20 the next year, the fourth year. And we haven't been below 19 since.
I mean, why do you guys — students and student-athletes — come here? Because it’s an unbelievable place. It's already really, really successful. When you come into a situation like that, to make that better, you have to be the elite-level student-athlete. You have to be the elite-level worker. You have to be the elite-level person who has that care and has that commitment to doing that. So the Emory changes are tiny because we're already at a level that's very good. The determination of the students and student-athletes to make it grow even more impresses me.
TEW: Now that we’re talking about growth, how would you say you’ve grown?
JZ: Oh, man. I’ve grown a lot. In the coaching profession, you have to grow. I still consider myself a little old-school, but I’m not old yet. Being on campus keeps you young. Being around student-athletes who are driven inspires me. Our student-athletes inspire me as much as I would ever inspire them with what they do here.
You know, we got beat last night [Jan. 19] on a last-second shot at the buzzer. We got back to campus at one in the morning last night, but this morning we’re going to the gym and we’re going back to work. We’re trying to figure out how we can get better.
I’ve probably changed a little bit more because of our student-athletes. I guess my former student-athletes would say I’ve probably mellowed a little bit. I don’t think that’s the case. I’m a little bit more aware of what our student-athletes are going through here. After 13 years at Emory, you find what works and what doesn’t work. If you are constantly aware and if you’re constantly evaluating yourself, you will have a wealth of knowledge to build on. I actually tell my guys from 13 years ago, “Man, I wish I could coach you now because I just have more.”
JZ: There’s definitely little things I would change. Like last night, I would have done something different. We lost by one. There are definitely little things ... you think about things like “I wish I called a different play,” but those mistakes are what make you, you.
Today, I’m going to have some very intense conversations with some of our guys. And that’s what makes us who we are. That puts us here and that’s what gives us a passion for Emory and Emory basketball and winning and doing it right. When I talk to our [alumni], and when I talk to our players now, it’s obvious that they care and they know that we care. So, are there things I would change? Sure. But as far as the relationships and how we are as a team? No.
TEW: Has there been a season that stuck out to you or that you consider your favorite?
JZ: Wow, that’s a tough one. I have pictures of all our teams in my office. It’s getting pretty full, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep doing that, but I do it for a reason — because every team has its own story. My first team as head coach, my first winning-season and my first NCAA tournament team were all valuable to me. Even the seasons where we didn’t make the NCAA tournament are so instrumental to us and to the success that we have now. I don’t know if I would say there is a favorite team, but there are a lot of favorite moments.
I don’t think about [a] shot, or favorite games. I think about the locker room after we won a big game or a UAA Championship. The joy you can see on the faces of those 14 guys and the five staff members because you worked so hard for something and have seen it come through are some of my favorite moments — but also the sorrow that you have in that same locker room. I remember one of the first years, when we thought we were going to the NCAA tournament because we were 20-5, but we didn’t get in. Being in the locker room and finding out that we didn’t get in, seeing the tears of sorrow and hurt, was also a great experience for me that will never go away. Those memories are the ones that help us grow. Those are the ones that we can learn from. All of those are special to us, and I think the guys would tell you that too. That’s why we play this sport. That’s why we compete. There’s always a chance you can lose, so when you win, it makes you feel like you accomplished something and when you lose, you feel really insignificant. That’s athletics. It’s really hard sometimes, but it’s exciting and it’s a great passion for my guys.
TEW: What do you appreciate most about your athletes?
JZ: I appreciate the trust that they give me, the care that they put in and the commitment that they make. It’s hard to do what they do. At Emory, at an elite academic institution, to want to do the work, to be elite athletically takes a lot. The thing I appreciate the most is that they go at it with a great passion, and they trust and they commit to it, and they care about each other. Obviously, we have times when we’re frustrated, but you know that we’re going to get through because they care about each other.
TEW: What are your hopes for this year?
JZ: Well, we are hoping we could win it all because we have a very good team. I think we have a strong chance too. I still hope to continue to grow individually and as a team, continue to add value to Emory Basketball, and continue to add value to each other.
